{"id":3860,"date":"2025-08-20T19:49:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T17:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solafrica.ch\/projekte\/solar-fuels\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:43:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T09:43:32","slug":"solar-fuels","status":"publish","type":"projekte","link":"https:\/\/solafrica.ch\/en\/projects\/solar-fuels\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Fuels"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Solar Fuels<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Young\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEthiopia\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tElement 3<\/title><\/path><\/path><\/path><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/rect><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInnovation\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Solar Fuels for the future: green fuel from solar power <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn the Solar Fuels project, Solafrica and its partners are supporting the establishment of a centre for renewable fuels at the Adama Science and Technology University in Ethiopia. The goal: to use solar energy to produce environmentally friendly fuels such as methanol and other so-called solar fuels. These storable and transportable energy sources are part of Power-to-X (P2X) technologies, which enable flexible use of renewable energy. The project aims to contribute to making Ethiopia’s energy supply more sustainable and independent. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"SolarFuelsP2X_graphic\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Power-to-X<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPower-to-X (P2X) is a collective term for the storage of energy (“power”) in a chemical substance (“X”). For example, electricity is used to produce methanol. The methanol can be burned at a later date, releasing the stored energy again. In this way, power-to-X technologies make it possible to convert renewable energy into products that can be stored. The products manufactured using solar energy are called solar fuels. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Context and challenges <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In Ethiopia, many people still use biomass such as wood, charcoal or dried animal dung for cooking and heating. This leads to deforestation, soil erosion, pollution, health problems and a significant amount of time spent collecting fuel- especially for women. <\/strong><\/p>

New, clean and easily available energy sources are needed to improve this situation in the long term. Solar fuels – i.e. synthetic fuels produced using solar power – could be an important solution here. <\/p>

However, Ethiopia still lacks the expertise, suitable technical facilities and political support to deploy these technologies on a broad scale. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Our approach <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Together with the Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU) in Ethiopia and the OST University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland, Solafrica is setting up a center for solar fuels in Ethiopia<\/strong>. In the first phase of the project (planning), a feasibility study and an evaluation of the various P2X variants were carried out. <\/p>

In the current second phase of the project (implementation), the planned demonstration plant is being built at ASTU. This plant will use solar power to produce synthetic methanol \u2013 a practical example of the application of power-to-X technologies. The facility serves as a place of learning and research, where more than 50 specialists will be trained each year in the future. <\/strong><\/p>

In the third phase (research), the technology will be researched further. The aim is to optimize the processes and develop larger plants for use in Ethiopia. In addition, information materials are being produced to convince decision-makers and authorities of the potential of solar fuels and Power-to-X technologies. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Since<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
2021<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Annual budget<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
CHF 167,000<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Current project phase\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
2025-2026<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Implementation partner\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t